Multiple pole fused disconnect switch



May 1967 A. R. SCHRADE MULTIPLE POLE FUSED DISCONNECT SWITCH Filed Sept.24, 1965 5 Z y a I I Q 4 FIG. 2

INVENTOR August R .Schraate United States Patent 3,319,026 MULTIPLE POLEFUSED DISCONNECT SWllTlII-I August R. Schrade, 2814 Reuter Ave., Waco,Tex. 76708 Filed Sept. 24, 1965, Ser. No. 489,939 4 Claims. (Cl.200-4114) This invention relates to electric switches and moreparticularly to that type of switch known as a multiple pole switch.

So far as is known, there never has been commercially available a twopole, three wire switch that one could fuse with utility company type offuse links, and when one of the fuse links were blown, it would causethe switch (or secondary breaker) to open all of the poles of theswitch.

It is therefore the principal object of this invention to provide amultiple pole electric switch that will meet the above noted conditions.

Another object of this invention is to provide a multiple pole electricswitch of the character described that is designed for use near the topof an electric light pole.

Another object of this invention is to provide a multiple pole electricswitch that is provided with a handle for the manual opening or closingof the switch.

Another object of this invention is to provide a multiple pole electricswitch having an indicator on the outside thereof that will indicatewhether the switch is open or closed.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a multiple poleelectric switch having a minimum number of simply constructed parts allenclosed within a single rectangular box.

Other and further objects of this invention will come to mind as thedescription of the invention proceeds.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of this invention with its rectangularbox shown in phantom lines.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of this invention secured to the upperend of an electric transformer and connected to the power lines.

Directing ones attention to FIGURE 1 of the accompanying drawing, itwill be seen that this invention consists of a plurality of levers, thefirst one of which is a horizontally disposed lever 5 that is swingablyhinged at 6 and which has its outer end 7 swingably supporting the upperend of the vertically disposed lever B that has its lower end connectedto flag supporting arm 9 in the same way that the vertical lever of barassembly 38 is secured to arm 42. A horizontal shaft 10 extends acrossthe switch box to which is secured one end of the trip arm 11 and handle12. A second and longer horizontally disposed common tripping bar 13 ishinged at 14 and is provided with a U-shaped recess 15 in the upper edgethereof. A coil spring 16 has one end secured to the outer end of theaforesaid bar 13, while the other end of the spring is secured to theinside of the top of the rectangular switch box 17 which is shown inphantom lines in the aforesaid FIGURE 1 of the drawing. A verticallydisposed latch arm 18, having a rectangular opening 19 in the outer end29, projects upward from the rectangular flapper block 21 to which it,the aforesaid latch 18 is secured. A flexible wire 30' leads from theaforesaid flapper block 21 to the lower end of the fuse link 22 that hasits upper end secured to a connection that is in turn connected to thewire 23 that leads to one of the two line wires of an electric powerline. Still another horizontally disposed lever 24 that is even longerthan lever 13 is hinged at 25. This last-mentioned lever has one end ofthe coil spring 26 secured thereto, while the other end of the same coilspring is secured to the inside of the top of the aforesaid rectangularswitch box 17. A second rectangular flapper block 27 is in normalparallel spaced relation to the first-mentioned flapper block 21 whenthis electric switch is open. The block 21 is secured to the L-shapedspring loaded arm 28. The first-mentioned flapper block 21 is providedwith two electric switch contacts of which only one, namely, electriccontact 29 is visible in FIGURE 1 of the drawing. Contact 29 isconnected by the previously mentioned wire 30 to the aforesaid fuse link22, while the second-mentioned contact is connected by the wire 30 tothe lower end of the second vertically disposed fuse link 31 that issuitably connected to the wire 32 that leads to the second line wire ofthe electric power line. The laterally disposed bar 33 that is mountedunder levers 5 and 24 has each end secured to the swingably mounted lugs34 and 35, each one of which has its other end swingably secured by thestub shafts 36 and 37, the purpose of the laterally disposed bar beingto trip the tripping bar 13. The Z-shaped hinged bar assembly 38 whichis made up of horizontally disposed lever 5, vertically disposed lever 8and horizontally disposed flag supporting arm 4.2, also drops down andtrips tripping bar 13 when fuse link 22 is blown. A rectangular flag 41is secured to the lower horizontally disposed flag supporting arm 42 ofthe aforesaid hinged bar assembly 38, thereby giving one visual Warningthat the electric switch is open. An alike construction is employed tosupport the second rectangular flag 43 that is located on the other sideof this novel invention. A coil spring 44 biases this aforesaid fiagassembly towards switch opening position which is also the position inwhich flag 41 is displayed. A springloaded L-shaped rod 45 having anexternal indicating member 46 secured to the L-shaped rod 45 is soarranged as to indicate the open and closed position of the flapperblock 21 of this invention. The only other major part of this inventionthat has not been mentioned is the two (only one visible) electriccontact 47 that projects through the aforesaid rectangular flapper'block27. The contact 47 and its alike contact which is not shown is sopositioned in the flapper block 21 as to come in contact with contacts29 that project through the flapper block 21. Electric wires 48 that areconnected to the power line pass through the insulators 49 that are inthe top of the aforesaid rectangular switch box 17.

The way that this invention of mine works is as follows:

When the switch is open and no fuses blown the elements of the switchare in the position shown in FIGURE 1 with contacts 29, 47 and theidentical set of contacts which are not shown, open. Indicating member46 is in a position to indicate that the switch is open.

To close the switch, grasp handle 12 and rotate shaft 10 to bring triparm 11 into contact with L-shaped spring loaded arm 28 to move this armand flapper block 21 into the position in which contacts 29 and 47 areclosed. In this position U-shaped recess 15 in horizontal tripping bar13 and opening 19 in vertically disposed latch arm 18 interlock, to holdthe switch closed. In closing the switch L-shaped spring loaded arm 28rotates spring loaded L-shaped rod 45 and indicating member 46 to aposition in which the indicating member 46 indicates that the switch isclosed.

If it is desired to open the switch, shaft 10 is rotated in the oppositedirection, lever 50 and link 51 pull down on lever 24. Lever 24 lowerslaterally disposed bar 33. Laterally disposed bar 33 lowers horizontallydisposed tripping bar 13 which disengages latch elements 15 and 19 andpermits spring 28' to move L-shaped spring loaded arm 28 and flapperblock 21 to switch opening position. At the same time indicating member46 moves to indicate that the switch is open.

Suppose that there is an overload on the circuit. Fuse 22 or 31 blows.Suppose it is fuse 22. Arm 42 pivots about its pivot 41 to lower flag 42into visible position. At the same time vertically disposed lever 8' islowered. Vertically disposed lever 8 pivots horizontally disposed armabout pivot 39 to contact laterally disposed bar 33 and lower it.Lowering laterally disposed bar 33 pivots horizontally disposed trippingbar 13 about its pivot 14 Likewise blowing of fuse link 31 will operateto open both sets of switch contacts 29 and 4,7.

While I have indicated a preferred embodiment of this invention, manymodifications may be made without departing from the spirit of theinvention, and I do not wish to be limited to the precise details setforth, but desire to avail myself of all changes within the scope of theappended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A fused multipole disconnecting switch, comprising a plurality ofsubstantially parallel substantially horizontal flag supporting arms,one end of each flag supporting arm pivotally mounted on a supportmember, a flag secured to the other end of each flag supporting arm, a

vertically disposed fuse link for each flag supporting arm,

a connection between the lower end of each fuse link" and the other endof said flag supporting arm, a conductor connected to the upper end ofeach fuse link and connected to a fixed support for supporting saidupper end of said fuse link, a first rectangular flapper block locatedabove said flag supporting arms'and secured to a fixed support, a secondrectangular flapper block pivotally secured to the first flapper block,a set of mating contacts for each flag supporting arm, a contact of eachset secured to each flapper block, spring means biasing said secondflapper away from said first flapper block, a latch secured to thesecond flapper block and to a fixed support for latching the pivotedflapper block in contact closing position, a separate wire connecting toeach contact of said first flapper block for connection to line wires, aseparate wire connecting each contact of the second flapper block to thelower end of each fuse, means connected to each flag supporting arm andto the latch operated on dropping of either flag due to thecorrelsponding fuse being blown for releasing the said latch, whereby onblowing of any fuse the corresponding end of a flag supporting arm andflag will drop down and will release the latch to permit the springmeans to separate the contacts of each pair of mating contacts.

2. The combination of claim 1 including a switch box enclosing saidswitch mechanism, the flag supporting arms being near the bottom of theswitch box and the box having an opening in the bottom thereof for eachflag through which opening said flag projects when its fuse blows andthe flag drops down.

3. The combination of claim 2 in which the first flapper block is insubstantially vertical position, the pivot for the flapper blocks isalong the lower edge of said first flapper block, the latch mechanismcomprises a vertically disposed latch arm secured to said second flapperblock and'extending in substantially the same plane as said secondflapper block, the latch arm has an opening therethrough, a horizontallydisposed tripping bar extends through said opening in said lat-ch arm,one end of said tripping bar pivotally mounted on a support member,spring means secured to said tripping bar and a fixed support forbiasing said tripping bar upward aiid a U- shaped recess in the upperedge of said tripping bar to engage the upper part of the opening in thelatch arm when the contacts of the flapper blocks are closed.

4. The combination of claim 3 in which the means for tripping the latchcomprises a horizontally disposed bar eccentrically pivoted to fixedsupports, said horizontally disposed bar extending transversely of saidtripping bar closely above said tripping bar, a vertically disposedlever for each flag supporting arm, a connection between the lower endof each vertically disposed lever and an intermediate point of its flagsupporting arm, a horizontally disposed lever for each flag supportingarm, each last mentioned horizontally disposed lever extending over saidlaterally disposed bar, each last mentioned horizontally disposed leverhaving one end secured to the upper end of one of said verticallydisposed levers and the other end pivotally secured to a fixed support.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 745,694 12/1903Utley et al. 200121 1,010,937 12/1911 Menningen. 1,247,041 11/1917Waigand 200-116 1,549,445 8/ 1925 Burgeson 200-116 2,382,022 8/ 1945Perret.

BERNARD A. GILHEANY, Primary Examiner.

H. A. LEWITTER, Assistant Examiner.

1. A FUSED MULTIPOLE DISCONNECTING SWITCH, COMPRISING A PLURALITY OFSUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL FLAG SUPPORTING ARMS,ONE END OF EACH FLAG SUPPORTING ARM PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON A SUPPORTMEMBER, A FLAG SECURED TO THE OTHER END OF EACH FLAG SUPPORTING ARM, AVERTICALLY DISPOSED FUSE LINK FOR EACH FLAG SUPPORTING ARM, A CONNECTIONBETWEEN THE LOWER END OF EACH FUSE LINK AND THE OTHER END OF SAID FLAGSUPPORTING ARM, A CONDUCTOR CONNECTED TO THE UPPER END OF EACH FUSE LINKAND CONNECTED TO A FIXED SUPPORT FOR SUPPORTING SAID UPPER END OF SAIDFUSE LINK, A FIRST RECTANGULAR FLAPPER BLOCK LOCATED ABOVE SAID FLAGSUPPORTING ARMS AND SECURED TO A FIXED SUPPORT, A SECOND RECTANGULARFLAPPER BLOCK PIVOTALLY SECURED TO THE FIRST FLAPPER BLOCK, A SET OFMATING CONTACTS FOR EACH FLAG SUPPORTING ARM, A CONTACT OF EACH SETSECURED TO EACH FLAPPER BLOCK, SPRING MEANS BIASING SAID SECOND FLAPPERAWAY FROM SAID FIRST FLAPPER BLOCK, A LATCH SECURED TO THE SECONDFLAPPER BLOCK AND TO A FIXED SUPPORT FOR LATCHING THE PIVOTED FLAPPERBLOCK IN CONTACT CLOSING POSITION, A SEPARATE WIRE CONNECTING TO EACHCONTACT OF SAID FIRST FLAPPER BLOCK FOR CONNECTION TO LINE WIRES, ASEPARATE WIRE CONNECTING EACH CONTACT OF THE SECOND FLAPPER BLOCK TO THELOWER END OF EACH FUSE, MEANS CONNECTED TO EACH FLAG SUPPORTING ARM ANDTO THE LATCH OPERATED ON DROPPING OF EITHER FLAG DUE TO THECORRESPONDING FUSE BEING BLOWN FOR RELEASING THE SAID LATCH, WHEREBY ONBLOWING OF ANY FUSE THE CORRESPONDING END OF A FLAG SUPPORTING ARM ANDFLAG WILL DROP DOWN AND WILL RELEASE THE LATCH TO PERMIT THE SPRINGMEANS TO SEPARATE THE CONTACTS OF EACH PAIR OF MATING CONTACTS.